Third Time Lucky
by tielan
Summary: John should be used to having his ass kicked by alien women.


**NOTES:** Every now and then, I ask the readers of my journal to submit me pairings and prompts. This year, for Valentine's Day, I offered to write short ficlets for any pairing of choice. This one's John/Vala.**  
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**Third Time Lucky**

John should be used to having his ass kicked. Teyla did it often enough.

As his shoulderblades kiss floor - again - John reflects that any pleasure Teyla took in his demise at her hands was good-natured. She considered their sparring a tutorial, an exercise from which she expected him to gain experience. She didn't make it about ego - John did that all by himself.

When Vala's gleeful face pops into his wincing line of sight, John sighs to himself. Beaten up by another alien woman.

Does he have a sign on his back or something?

"That was fun," Vala declares, an impish smirk on her lips. "Want to do it again?"

"No," he complains, but accepts her hand up.

This is the second time Vala's laid him out. After the first time, he figured he had her measure and went in for the kill. A mistake.

He's used to making mistakes when it comes to fighting against good-looking alien women. Considering the bruises Teyla left on him during their early bouts, Vala's being nice.

For a given value of 'nice', of course. Which isn't actually all that 'nice'.

John picks himself up, shakes himself all over to loosen his t-shirt and air his sweaty body, and thanks God that he accepted Vala's challenge to fight _after_ the SGC's day shift has ended. At least his ego is being beaten in private, rather than with half the SGC looking on and laying down bets.

"All right," he says. "Third time lucky."

Vala beams at him, dark blue eyes gleaming with delight. "I love an optimistic man," she says, dimpling with charming enthusiasm as she sashays around the edge of the fighting floor.

John follows her movements, watching for any signs that she's going to attack. But Vala merely smiles teasingly at him as she saunters about, as though John's the least of her concerns.

He moves in for the kill, choosing to attack. Maybe he should wait - patience being a virtue or something - but he's had enough of being patient and his ego has taken enough of a battering during this bout. He wants some revenge.

This isn't quite like the stave-fighting he and Teyla used to do - nothing can replace the good-humoured calm of the Athosian woman - but it's close enough to satisfy him.

Close enough to make him just a little homesick.

But Atlantis, Teyla, and Ronon are a galaxy and a Gate-bridge away, and the rest of his 'family' are scattered or sulking.

Vala meets him - but doesn't try to hold him off, the way most fighters do. Instead, she closes with him, letting him grapple with her - lean curves and long muscle - and pressing herself against him in a move that's more like a clinch than combat.

John catches the wicked sparkle in her eyes at the same time as her hands grab his butt and she throws them both down to the floor.

His shoulders kiss the mats, and a moment later, her lips are kissing him, while her hips are doing something very...blatant...to his hips.

And John's _enjoying_ it.

He's been numb for weeks now - since the enormity of his life and his loss swept him, whole, into the fight against the Orii.

It's a relief to _feel_ something again.

So John kisses her back.

When Vala lifts her mouth from his, bats her lashes at him, and dimples, he feels slightly resentful at her withdrawl - however temporary it might be.

"You're not a bad kisser," she tells him. And her husky voice might be just a little more rough as she settles on the start of his not-unnoticeable woody and contemplates him like a cake that she's deciding if she wants to take or not.

"I've had some practise," John tells her, noting the flush on her cheeks, and the way her breasts rise and fall, and suddenly _really_ glad that he chose to take up Vala's challenge after-hours.

John's used to making mistakes when it comes to interpreting interest from good-looking alien women.

Considering how Teyla was companionable, comradely, and apparently very content with being just an ally, Vala's being downright friendly.

Her eyes light up with a sapphire glint as she grinds into his hips again and bends down until her lips are just over his. "I think you can always do with more practise," she tells him.

John doesn't object at all.

_Third time lucky,_ he supposes.

**fin**


End file.
